The passing away of President Cory three weeks ago and last Friday’s 26th death anniversary of her husband, Senator Benigno Aquino Jr., brought back to mind the events of February 1986 when the world stood in awe as Filipinos linked arms, armed only with prayers and faith, to restore democracy in the country.
Yesterday, we were yet reminded of that glorious February with the news of the death of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the last surviving son of America’s political royalty.
Precious L. Javier, widow of the late Evelio Javier, the former Antique governor whose murder helped spark the outrage that led to the 1986 People Power, sent me the U.S. Congressional record of February 19, 1986 when American senators passed a resolution expressing their deep concern over the massive fraud that attended the Feb. 7, 1986 snap presidential elections.
Precious said that the American senator’s son, Ted Kennedy, Jr. and his cousin William Smith, were in Antique during the 1986 snap elections.
She said, “ Evelio had asked foreign correspondents to come to Antique as people were being terrorized by armed goons. Among the foreign correspondents who came were Ted Kennedy, Jr. of Boston Globe and Phil Bronstein of San Francisco Examiner. Evelio made the Kennedys stay at the Bishop’s House. I was told by highly reliable sources that Sister Lydia Labrador of Mensa Domini designated herself as chief security officer of the Kennedys (versus the goons) during their stay at the Bishop’s House.”
With the backdrop of the fraudulent 2004 elections very much in our minds as we become engrossed again with another presidential elections less than a year away, Kennedy’s speech reminds us that the malevolent forces had tried to destroy our democracy but failed. And in that fight, there was an American (a number of them actually), who stood up and took up our cause.
Excerpts from Kennedy’s speech:
“No one, except perhaps Mr. Marcos himself can dispute the fact that the presidential elections held in the Philippines were a complete and audacious fraud, a mockery of the democratic process which once again demonstrated Mr. Marcos contempt for justice and the rule of law.
“Cory Aquino won that election lock, stock, and barrel. It is time that the United States called a spade a spade. …The American people are outraged and dismayed by the rampant fraud and manipulation that pervaded the Presidential election in the Philippines on Feb. 7. The National assembly, a Marcos organ, has now declared President Marcos the winner of the election, but by all other accounts, the official tally was a fabrication designed to cheat the people of their right freely to choose their leader. The losers in this charade are many – including the opposition candidate Corazon Aquino,the Philippine people, and the future of democracy in the Philippines.
“I spoke with Cory Aquino this morning and we discussed the resolution before the Senate today. Despite the exercise in deceit she has just undergone, that champion of freedom has not forsaken hope for her country. She has vowed to continue to fight for democracy in her country,the cause for which her husband and, and my friend, Ninoy Aquino gave his life….
“The United States cannot assure fair elections in the Philippines, but we must not wink at an election that is so infected with violence, intimidation, and fraud as to make a mockery of the electoral process.
“The people of the Philippines want and deserve democracy in their country. None of us will ever forget the pictures of the Philippine people struggling to protect their ballots; their courage as they worked to make their elections fair and honest….”
Sen. Kennedy made special mention of Evelio Javier, whom he called, “Evi”:
“Evi was a courageous opposition leader in the Philippines whom I had met while he was earning a master’s degree at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. ….My son, Teddy Jr. , who was in the elections, visited Evi three days before he was killed. Evi knew his life was in danger, never going anywhere alone and never staying too long in one place. Evi even told my son that he did not expect to live out the week.
“His commitment to democracy in the Philippines never waivered as he courageously continued to campaign vigorously on behalf of the opposition Presidential candidate, Corazon Aquino throughout his province in Antique. That commitment cost him his life but Cory won in Antique.”
There was a part when Sen. Kennedy said, “And it is the responsibility of the United States to make it clear it cannot continue to support an illegitimate regime that attempts to legitimize itself by stealing the election.”
I just wished that he, or other democracy-loving American officials, said that again in 2004.
But this is not a perfect world. I’m content with the thought that there was once an American who took up the cause of democracy for Filipinos. That’s a lot to thank for.
A portion of the Senate Congressional Record, Feb. 19, 1986:
There was a part when Sen. Kennedy said, “And it is the responsibility of the United States to make it clear it cannot continue to support an illegitimate regime that attempts to legitimize itself by stealing the election.”
I should have sent my letters and clippings of illegitimate Gloria Arroyo to Sen. Ted Kennedy and not Pres. Barack Obama. Baka hindi niya pinayagang imbitahan ni Barak si Panduck.
Barack Obama should make a similar stand. At least, he did not invite the creep for a state visit. He just gave in to a repeated request for an audience with him by the liar and a thief to stop her from continuously stalking him. Thus, the exposure of her extravagance in some US newspapers.
Pagbumalik pa iyong ungas doon, talagang makapal na talaga at di na tinatalaban ng hiya.
Kawawang Pilipinas!
Ayaw pala nila ng illegitimate e bakit nandito pa si Gloria? All smiles pa rin habang ginagago ang taong bayan?.
Gumawa sila ng script noon, ngayon yung ginawa nilang script sampal sa mukha nila.
Mukhang galing pa rin yata sa U.S yung democrazy. Land of the free daw and home of the brave?!?!
Pag ayaw nila ng tao sa palasyo, gagawa ng script. Pag gusto nila nung nakaupo sa palasyo, gagawa rin ng script.
Kaya pala pumatok sa takilya yung “Enemy of the State.”
Kahit saan dito sa mundo, yung ganong klase ng script ginagawa nila. Bakit kaya hindi nila gawin kay Gloria? O baka naman kasi pareho ang kulay ng kanilang dugo?
Correction please, Chi. According to a reliable source, Arroyo was not invited by Obama. She invited herself!
Barack Obama: “You are Asia’s oldest democracy. It’s important that your election process proceeds in a way that will solidify the democratic process and be a model of transparency and democracy in the region.”
Gloria Arroyo:“Yes, we have elections in 2010. I will leave office on June 30. But I will be working until the last minute on issues that matter.”
Estratehiko ang lokasyon ng Pilipinas sa pangangalaga ng America sa interes nito sa Asya–Pasipiko hanggang Gitnang Silangan. Sa wari’y nakuryente na sila sa pakikitungo sa gobyernong–diktaduryal – sa rehimeng–Marcos na di yumukod sa mga kaparaanang demokratiko. Kayà naman ang mariin nilang pagtutol sa balaking Batas Militar núng taong 2005–2006 ng rehimeng–dambong ni Arroyo.
Sa kongreso’y biglang kambyó sa Con–Ass ang mga tutang himod–tumbong ni Arroyo. Signos na ang demokrasya’y isinurot ni Obama sa pagmumukha ni Arroyo, kung hindi’y…?
Sumampol ang hulugàng kwénto ng lavish dinner na ang lawak ng kàduwal na amoy ay nag–umpisa nang umalagwa mula kay Arroyo hanggang mga tutang kongresistang halik–pwét niya. 💡 🙄
Pagbumalik pa iyong ungas doon, talagang makapal na talaga at di na tinatalaban ng hiya.
Tita Yuko
Kailan ba naging marunong mahiya yang si Gloria…
Makapal talaga ang mukha niya!
Correction please, Chi. According to a reliable source, Arroyo was not invited by Obama. She invited herself!
—-
She wangled an invitation Leon Paneta could not refuse: she would show-off her breast implant …
Maybe that’s why bansot was in the White House, she told Leon Paneta that your 60 US soldiers can stay in Mindanao together with your mini US bases as long as you will let me visit the White House.
By the way, I heard in BBC News about three weeks ago, that US mini military base in El Salvador is located inside the military base of El Salvador. Just like in Pinas, the US mini military base is inside the Pinas military base.
The current US military bases are not as big as before, like Clark Air Base. US just want those small, mini military bases that are embedded within the military base of the host nation.
Don’t worry about the building of US Military Bases in the Philippines.That will never happen until maybe WW111.
So, why you all worry of the VFA.The Philippine Armed Forces
is weak,ill-equipped and untrained soldiers and most of all under the corrupt leaderships.US Military specialist are in our country to train them and teach them how to use the state of the art weaponry.
The US will not be on the limp mode in building strength in the Pacific and is spending billions of dollars and moving troops in the Asia Pacific to strengthen bases in outlying US territories as part of a new defence strategy.
The Pacific Island of Guam, previously considered a glorified refuelling base, has taken on a new importance to the US since September 11, 2001, and is currently being turned into a military hub.
The build-up in Guam is expected to cost $15 bn, with almost two-thirds of it going towards relocating 8,000 marines from the US base in Okinawa, Japan.
But the base in Guam, the United State’s most western territory, is not reliant on support from a foreign country, like those in Japan and South Korea.
The island of Guam has become the lynchpin of a new military strategy designed to face any war scenario.
The F-16s fighter jets sitting at the island’s Andersen air force base are part of a rotational squadron, and just one aspect of the military build-up.
On the apron, old but still operational B-52 bombers, which unleashed terrifying bombing missions in Vietnam and Iraq during the first Gulf War were standing by.
The US outpost will see a whole array of the latest military hardware including nuclear-powered Trident submarines which can fire Tomahawk cruise missiles and unmanned Global Hawk spy aircraft.
By next year, the base will receive the latest state-of-the-art F-22 fighter jets, reflecting Guam’s strategic defence position in a volatile part of the world.
The Guam build-up was all about a “message of deterrent through strength” directed at North Korea and China, which has been almost doubling its military spending in recent years.
sen. edward kennedy is one of the most highly-regarded and respected legislator in the US and being one of the proponent of american brand of democracy in asia…matalino, mapagkakatiwalaan, maaasahan at tunay na lingkod bayan kaya for almost 43 years di siya natinag bilang isang US senator, kumbaga dahil subok na sa galing at mapagkakatiwalaan ay paulit-ulit na ibinoboto ng kaniyang constituents.
pero di uubra sa atin yung unlimited years of service as a legislator…kasi yun ang kulang sa karamihan ng politocs sa atin – magaling, matalino, mapagkakatiwalaan at tunay na lingkod-bayan. dito nga sa ‘pinas may batas na sa 3 consecutive terms pero napapaikot pa rin ang batas…ganon katuso at kaganid ang ating mga politicos.kaya nga ang political dynasty ban ay di pumasa-pasa dahil maraming trapos ang nakapuwesto sa batasan.
ang pagpanaw ni sen. kennedy ay isang malaking kawalan sa amerika,dahil sa ngayon nauuso na rin ang mga corrupt sa kanila at iilan na lamang ang mga US politicos na may malinis at magandang pangalan.
offtopic: sa bawat pagbisita ni queen gloria sa mga probinsiya at ibang bansa ay ganito ang style nila…contodo tarpaulin at banners ng pasasalamat kuno,self-glorification ng mga legacy kuno, at malaking budget sa mga local politicos para humakot ng tao, at sa ibang bansa ganun din ang style…hinahakot mga ofws binibigyan ng cash at libreng dinner – kaya huwag na tayong magtaka kung bakit ang lakas lumamon ng pera ni queen gloria at kung bakit ganon na lang ang laki ng utang panlabas ng ‘pinas Php4.2Trillion dahil puro pantapal sa kanilang kagaguhan at kahibangan.
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/170835/arroyo-government-sponsors-thank-you39s-to-itself
NO TO TRAPOS 2010!
pero di uubra sa atin yung unlimited years of service as a legislator…kasi yun ang kulang sa karamihan ng politocs sa atin…?
Korek Kgg. Iwatcher2010…pa hirit pa, MOSTLY ang mga pulitiko sa Pinas e may mataas na pinag-aralan at karamihan sa kanila graduate pa yan o kaya may master degree sa USA?
Ang malalim na problema sa Pinoy politics ay walang dignidad o Honor sa kanilang partido political? Karamihan e balimbing o hunyangao…lipatan ng bakod o kaya magtatayo ng sariling grupo?
Sa Tate, iba sila…may paninindigan sa sariling partido, or else magresign o manahimik na lang sa pulitika. Pero sa Pinas…ang kakapal ng apog, mga walang delicadeza sa sarili…ang daling bilhin ang prinsipyo ng PISO basta lang maka-upo sa nakaw na kapangyarihan.
Kaya mahirap pagkumparahin ang mga Pinoy politicians sa Kano kasi nga sa USA pantay ang pagpataw ng hustisya, pero sa Pinas kayang busalan ang batas?
Kaya sa hinagap, marami pang makan ang kakainin ng Pinoy sapagka’t kita nýo na mga bagito pa sa larangan ng pamumulitika e kurap na like TOL defensor, spice boyz at sino pa?
offtopic: sa bawat pagbisita ni queen gloria sa mga probinsiya at ibang bansa ay ganito ang style nila…..?
ON natin ang offtopic mo Kgg. Iwatcher2010…bakit ka mo, kasi ganito yon…TOTOO ang iyong winika na hakot brigade ang style ng mga amuyong ni gloria pag bibisita yan sa mga taga-promdi?
Kaya inabot ng 4.2T ang utang ng Pinas… ang kanyang winaldas e more than 2T for 9-years ha, kumpara sa 20+6+6+2 1/2 years ng 4 na former Presidents.
After 2010 for sure bangkarote ang susunod na administration…kaya laking problema nito sa next uupong presidente?
Remember mo ba yong patutsada ni VAT Recto…ilang daang bilyong Piso ang deficit ng budjet next year, saan yan huhuthutin ni gloria…di ba mangungutang uli yan sa ibang bansa?
Walang katapusang pangungutang…ang “REYNA ng mga UTANGERA” walang iba si GMA!
Any foreign acknowledgement, foreign help or intervention especially from USA is be considered terrible.
OT: I need help to find if the transition from Estrada to Arroyo has increase Philippine’s foreign debt. Or has free trade increased? Or has any international corporation benifited? If so then Philippines may have been victim to the economic hitman:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8djvyXclCI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rY8U8eE56s
OT: I should also comment on others that say Gloria a great economist that in her reign Philippine economy became better. That is bullshit, because as a President of a 3rd world country she has few options or non at all. She is controlled by multi national corporation that will enslave the country and its people into debt.
if the usa lost a great senator in the death of ted kennedy then pinas lost a great supporter of phil democracy. something the arroyos may be very glad.
Ted Kennedy despite his flaws is being considered as the best and the greatest senator in the US. He is the man that could have been president of the US if not for the Chappaquidick incident. That was his waterloo which he never recovered from so he just remained a senator all his life.
Guess what? Babalik daw si Tapalani sa Tate on the way to London to speak at the UN. This time, she even bragged that she would not eat at the Le Cirque but at MacDo.
Talaga naman, ang kapaaaaaaaaaal! At parang nakakaloko pa ang animal! Bakyang-bakya ang kilos! Yuck!
” florry – August 28, 2009 12:29 am
Ted Kennedy despite his flaws is being considered as the best and the greatest senator in the US. He is the man that could have been president of the US if not for the Chappaquidick incident. That was his waterloo which he never recovered from so he just remained a senator all his life.”
he may not have been president, florry, but his accomplishments as senator rivals that of any recent president. he has done more for the ordinary americans than anyone in recent history.
he did recover from chappaquidick. he became the best senator of his time championing common good causes–children’s healthcare, the rights of the disabled, the minimum wage, medicare, civil and human rights for all etc. he came up with 2,500 bills and 300 laws.
to many, it seems that seeking the presidency was more of a burden, something expected of him than something that he really wanted for himself. and when he was freed of that burden he just blazed a trail. the presidency was not the be-all and end-all of ted kennedy’s life.
kennedy is a partisan who gave no quarters when he argued for his cause. he had the benefit of family prestige and personal fortune that allowed him to raise hell. to get things done though, he did compromise. but if you listen to some of his speeches in the senate, he was all fire and brimstone.
obama is a “reconciler”, which makes him look like a wimp. i suppose being such has its advantages but he always seem to start weak hence gets something weaker as a result. i hope he grows a backbone re: health care. it is a shame that a 1st world country like the u.s. allows the kind of profiteering that it does at the cost of american lives.
me bagong pakulo nanaman si unano..at nakipila at photo opps pa sa mga number one breastfeeding mothers..sobra na talaga ang kkkkaaapppaaalll ng mukha, e di ba nag palagay siya ng fake na boobs, ano ma dede sa kanya, e di na tetano yun, tignan mo na lang ang producto ng kanyang breast fed..si mickey askal at si dado asozena..tapus si luli kaldereta.. ayan ang mga breastfeed pag ang ina at ama ay kumbinasyon ng lahing pekeng poddle at crossbred ng buwaya at baboy pusali..sama talaga ang labas ng breeding..!!
Sana sa Kennedy na lang ang nabuhay at iyong Ungas ang pumanaw.
Noong buhay pa ang aking ama ay sobrang tinitingala niya itong mga Kennedy na puros magagaling na pulitiko lalo na iyong napatay na presidente na si John F. Kennedy. Umaasa siyang magkakaroon ng isa pang Kennedy na magiging presidente ng America. Too bad namatay din sa isang aksidente sa eroplano iyong anak ni John F. Kennedy na maaring maging presidente sana ng amerika?
Ano ba ng special sa mga mga magkakapatid na Kennedy? Ang kanilang pagpapahalaga sa kalayaan at demokrasya.
Hindi na raw kakain ng mamahaling pagkain ang president pagpunta niya ng New York ayon kay Ermita. Maniniwala lang ako kung makikita ko siya sa TV news na kumakain ng tortang talong, haha.
From Mark Estreller:
With Ted Kennedy’s demise, it’s difficult to find someone to replace his advocacy for civil rights and equality. If President Obama wants to reciprocate Ted’s support for him last US election, all he (Obama) should do is to make sure that PGMA is out of office by 2010. That would make Ted Kennedy happy in his grave.
Sa sinabi mong iyan, saludo ako sa iyo Mark Estreller. Sana dumami pa ang lahi mo.
Salamat Ka Ellen for sharing us Mark Estreller statement.
Mabuhay para sa lahat ng mga Pilipinong naninindigan para sa demokrasya, hustisya, kapayapaan, at katotohanan!
masha,
Kennedy attempted for the presidency unfortunately he lost the nomination to Jimmy Carter. And then after the Chappaquidick he just abandoned his quest and ambition for the presidency because he knew that he had this very black spot on his record that will never be erased from the memory of the american people. He never recovered from it that’s why he never attempted again for the presidency. Just imagine how nasty will be the issue in the campaign if ever he was a candidate, leaving a woman to die in his car and reported the accident only after eight hours. That’s the very thing that prevented him from seeking again the presidency.
His career has been marred by scandals, womanizing, booze and tragedies, but as I said despite all his flaws, he was considered as the best and the greatest senator the US ever had because his accomplishments as senator eclipsed all his faults.
Nasa Antique pala sina Edward Jr. and cousin William Smith nung 1986 elections. Malapit kay Sen. Ted ang mga pamangkin niya kasi siya ang tumayong ama nila nung mamatay ang mga magulang nila. Si Edward Jr. ay may rare disease at kinailangang i-amputate ang paa.
Sen. Ted, the other son Patrick and William Smith went to a local bar after an Easter party at the Kennedy’s home in Palm Beach. After drinks, the cousins took home with them two women they later had consensual sex with, but William’s partner claimed it was rape. Sen. Ted was later a court witness to the big media event as it was televised. William was acquitted.
I also remember the senator was distraught and almost went nuts after learning that John jr. and family had died in a plane after the plane he was a pilot of, crashed near Martha’s Vineyard.
The deaths in the Kennedy family were, almost all, tragic. Aside from John and Robert who were assassinated, a sister died in a plane crash while another succumbed to a failed lobotomy, and two brothers were killed in WWII. Although Ted’s death was less crushing than the others, it had to happen two weeks after one sister died. The sister is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s mom-in-law and founder of the Special Olympics.
ocayvalle,
grabe ka naman!
akala ko ba disenteng edukado ang pamilyang ‘yan? lahi pala ng wildlife, hane? stray animals pala.
The universal health care bill, presently seeing rough sailing in the US Senate, is Obama’s commitment to Edward Kennedy. Obama owes the late senator bigtime for endorsing him instead of Hillary despite appeals for him, from the Clintons, to stay neutral.
Kennedy has championed the cause of the poor and the minorities and gives life to Magsaysay’s: “Whoever has less in life should have more in law”.
Our politicians should pick it from there. He was a rich man who worked hard to give the people the legislation that they deserved.
Dito kasi sa Pinas, iba ang kasabihan, “Those who have more in life, have more in-laws”.
“i hope he grows a backbone re: health care. it is a shame that a 1st world country like the u.s. allows the kind of profiteering that it does at the cost of american lives.” –
masha.
That’s exactly why Obama wants reform; the BIG TIME PROFITEERING by the Insurance Companies who would care less if you’re about to die tomorrow. And if you’re following these debates on HC, those politicians who chummy up to these Insurance Companies wants to bring this reform to a halt.
i hope that the death of sen kennedy would create a positive effect on social justice in the usa.health care is the very first step social justice.
Ted Kennedy also championed George Bush’s “No Child Left Behind Act”. The Senator sponsored and saw to it that the bill passed in the Senate without hassle.
Mangyayari ba sa Pinas yan? Never!
chi: ano sa palagay mo kung si gma naman ang mamatay, mayroon kayang mga magagandang ala ala sa kanya tulad ng kina Cory at Kennedy. sana mauna siya kaysa sa akin ng mabasa ko man lang ang mga recuerdo para sa kanya.
norpil, hintayin mong mamatay si Glue. Masamang damo si Panduck kaya mahaba daw ang buhay. Ayaw mo n’yan, hahaba rin ang buhay mo sa kahihintay, ha!ha!ha!
tru blue – August 28, 2009 2:57 pm
“i hope he grows a backbone re: health care. it is a shame that a 1st world country like the u.s. allows the kind of profiteering that it does at the cost of american lives.” –
masha.
“That’s exactly why Obama wants reform; the BIG TIME PROFITEERING by the Insurance Companies who would care less if you’re about to die tomorrow. And if you’re following these debates on HC, those politicians who chummy up to these Insurance Companies wants to bring this reform to a halt.”
–i am following the debate closely and if you are, too, you would have noticed obama wimping out on the public option. and when he got deluged with messages from progressives after he and sebelius started backing down on the public option he let loose his anonymous white house aides to attack the left.
obama wants to cut cost, sure, i believe that. but to progressives the public option is the only way barring single payer. the public option is the compromise and he is compromising the compromise. that is the only true way that insurance companies will shape up. what’s happening is they seem to be moving to a co-op with a mandate that everybody gets healthcare but no public option. that’s a joke. and that’s why insurance company stocks are doing well in the stock market.
you have to wonder too what obama has signed away to big pharma. the white house hasnt been clear on this.
the dems have a majority in the house, a filibuster proof majority in the senate and a president in the white house and yet they cannot get the public option through. if a president with all his power and authority cannot even make deals with the blue dogs then what use is he. he misread the republicans, they were never going to work with him. he should have seen that with the recovery act. and yet he keeps insisting on a bipartisan bill. what the?
i hope howard dean is right. i hope the dems ram the public option through conference or reconciliation. but what i really hope is the dems get the b**** to pass the bill that allows people below 65 to buy into medicare. that’s what kennedy would have wanted. kennedy is true progressive and a true liberal. obama, not so much.
sorry, ellen, but i had to respond.
tru blue – August 28, 2009 2:57 pm
“XXX those politicians who chummy up to these Insurance Companies wants to bring this reform to a halt.”
–oh and if you look at the donor list, dems get contributions too from the private health sector, even obama.
having said that, obama is still health care reform’s last best bet but everything he has done recently does not inspire confidence in progressives that he will get it done. with rahm making deals with the insurance companies dangling the public option in exchange for starving the GOP congressional campaign coffers for 2010, progressives should remain vigilant. i am not an obama lemming. obama is still a politician.
florry – August 28, 2009 11:27 am
masha,
Kennedy attempted for the presidency unfortunately he lost the nomination to Jimmy Carter. And then after the Chappaquidick he just abandoned his quest and ambition for the presidency because he knew that he had this very black spot on his record that will never be erased from the memory of the american people. He never recovered from it that’s why he never attempted again for the presidency. Just imagine how nasty will be the issue in the campaign if ever he was a candidate, leaving a woman to die in his car and reported the accident only after eight hours. That’s the very thing that prevented him from seeking again the presidency.
His career has been marred by scandals, womanizing, booze and tragedies, but as I said despite all his flaws, he was considered as the best and the greatest senator the US ever had because his accomplishments as senator eclipsed all his faults.”
— thanks for your reply, florry. as you have noted, the presidency is not the be all and end all of his political life. it seems he was half hearted in his quest for the presidency. he was unprepared to answer the question of why he wanted to be president during a cbs interview. it is arguable that he really even wanted it. it seems that it just expected of him. the statement “XXX so he just remained a senator all his life” made it seem that he settled for something lower, and “that (chappaquiddick) was his waterloo which he never recovered from”, made it seem like he was a loser, when in fact he did recover from chappaquiddick and he arguably has done more for the common man than any president in recent past. apologies if i misunderstood you.
and btw we havent even talked about his legendary kindness.
it is arguable that chappa was the thing that brought his presidency down. perhaps if he had run in the age of 24/7 cable news and the internet, he wouldnt have been able to even get into the primaries. at the time he lost the primary to jimmy carter, what was most telling was his seeming unpreparedness, discomfort, and as i said half-heartedness in his quest. you have to remember that less than a year after chappa, he won 62% of the votes when he ran for re-election. the kennedy mystique is a powerful thing. it even helped boost obama.
Enlightening arguments, masha, for both topics.
masha,
Thanks but I’m sure you will agree with me if I say that he may have done more if he were the president. Being the head of state or the president is the pinnacle of a public service. He might have maximized his well-known gift for friendship and working relationship across the political spectrum. He might even have his pet universal health care signed into law. He, as president and most powerful man could have done most if not everything the things that he stood for for the good of every american, in which case could not do it as a senator.
OK so he won 62% of the votes but he could have won more than that. But don’t forget that it was only in Massachusets, meaning it was just like a local election and not a national. Of course nobody will ever beat the Kennedys in their home state. And so I still say that the Chap incident was the one black mark that contributed to his failure to enter the white house.
According to Joe Holley of the Washington Post, “Political observers considered him the candidate to beat in 1972, but that possibility came to an end on a night in July 1969 when the senator drove his Olds off a bridge on Chap Island and a young female passenger, Mary Jo Kopechene drowned”.
As a result he made a very dismal showing when he challenged Carter and during the Dems convention he said: “For all those cares have been our concern, the work goes on. The cause endures, the hope still lives and the dreams shall never die”
What a shame, hindi siya naging presidente. Sayang.
thanks, chi. kalokohan talaga ang health care sa u.s. health care shouldnt be for profit. they are anti-thetical (?). siyempre the more these insurers deny services, the more profit they have. and that’s not even mentioning the million dollar compensation packages of the insurance ceos. there’s an incentive to deny services. at ang daming nababangkarote dahil sa sakit sa america. parang di first world country.
ginagamit nila ang “socialism” at ang pagka-itim ni obama (dami pa kasing racist sa tate, kahit di nila inaamin) to oppose healthcare reform. e ang mga bobo di na-ri-realize na social security and medicare are socialized programs. hirap nilang i-process ang common good, both the humanitarian and practical aspect of it. iba na ang mundo, madali nang magkahawaan ng sakit.
hey florry,
i dont think i agree that he could have done more as president. una, limited siya sa walong taon. the 300 laws he had helped pass on social issues would not be possible had he been president. nobody could have picked up the slack in congress.
as president, mas marami ang compromises at kailangan mas diplomatic. as senator, namayagpag siya for 47 years. napanood mo ng tirisin niya si bork as candidate for scotus? di niya magagawa yun. this allowed him to champion progressive causes and be as partisan to the hilt which as president he would, i would argue, not been able to do.
presidential historians, kearns-goodwin and beschloss, have opined that he has done more as senator than he could ever do as president. and i tend to agree. the presidency has prestige, of course, but if you see the amount of people his laws have helped from the disabled to gays, from children to soldiers, from women to the elderly etc, not to mention his personal acts of kindness, you can see he has done more for ordinary americans than reagan, bush 41, clinton, bush 43 and certainly, jimmy carter.
i think knowing now the laws he helped enact, i think iwould have prefered him remain as senator.
but you know, there is still a part of me that would have liked to have seen him steer american foreign policy. baka mas matino. unlike other dems, he is not a wimp and i think he always follow his true north.
as i said on chappa effect on presidential bid, it is arguable. had he been prepared and still lost, i think it would be definitive that chappa did him in.
nice discussing with you, florry. thanks!
masha,
nice discussing with you too, I appreciate it very much. I just want to say one more thing.
Ted Kennedy has been a senator for 47 years, why?
It’s because he did not get a shot for the presidency and he got no choice. If he succeeded in his challenge to Carter, and won the presidency then he will not be a senator all his life, 47 years in total and being a senator he has a job to do, that is to enact bills. The fact alone that he posed a challenge means that he was interested in the top job, but the baggage on his back, that is the Chap, as I said was his waterloo.
“ginagamit nila ang “socialism” at ang pagka-itim ni obama (dami pa kasing racist sa tate, kahit di nila inaamin) to oppose healthcare reform. e ang mga bobo di na-ri-realize na social security and medicare are socialized programs.” – Masha.
Well said. That’s why I take issue when Noypis yell “Obama is a Socialist”, not understanding that programs you mentioned above and SSI, Food Stamps, Section 8, and the military health care program are all tied to socialism. These are all government run entities.
At the same token, can’t wait for Obama to just CUT all the above programs, tingnan natin ang tigas ng mga sigaw ng sigaw ng socialism. Many old farts during town hall meetings had the audacity to shout “get the government off my Medicare”! Dude, medicare is government. And for idiots out there trying to equate Obama’s HC Plan to Nazi Germany only tells us the symbolic nature and complexity of these health care debates.
Now if you asked me what I favor? Single Payer System. They just have to figure where some of the dough comes into play so as not to burden the already ascending deficits.
Ted Kennedy wouldn’t mind SPS.